This invention relates to thermo-plastic, multiple container carrier and handling devices. The invention more particularly relates to a strip of plastic material which may be transformed into such a plastic multi-packaging device capable of effective association with the plurality of can-type carriers.
Container carrier devices of the type described are widely used and a variety of forms have been considered, including the devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,835 and more recently devices which utilize significantly less material by creating a series of integral, resilient thin bands that are dependent upon one another to be reconfigured from a first non-circular configuration to a second, generally circular configuration. The last mentioned type of devices are shown in more recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,331 and currently co-pending application, Ser. No. 31,231.
Other efforts have also been made to reduce the amount of plastic material utilized in such carrier devices by designing "scrapless" type carrier configurations, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,084,792 and 3,044,230. This type of carrier generally may be described as a plurality of series of slits longitudinally of the strip designed so that the carrier can be transversely stretched during application to can-type containers.
Further examples of attempts to reduce material and retain strength are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,422 which involves a strip of material which includes a series of relatively small apertures which would be stretched during application to a final configuration approximating the perimeter of the can to which it is associated.
It should be noted that new applicating techniques involve specific carrier designs that require application of transverse stretching forces to a continuously moving strip of carrier devices transforming bands from an initial aperture configuration to a final aperture configuration. It should further be noted that efforts to reduce material content in carrier devices must be accomplished with constraints such as retention of resiliency in the device during use as a multi-packaging device, strength to resist "necking" or tearing during application to cans, regrinding of material punched from carrier strip, appearance and handling of resulting package, etc.
Against the foregoing background, the subject invention represents a unique advance in the art, because of the unique design and use of a preform carrier strip which is transformed to a strip of carrier devices prior to application.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a preform device which can be transformed permanently into a package making strip which in turn can be transformed from a non-circular hole to a hole which can be efficiently associated with a plurality of generally cylindrical cans.
A further principle object of the invention is to provide a carrier preform and carrier which attempts to minimize the material used while maximizing the strength of the carrier device and integrity of the package created thereby.
An advantage of the invention is the reduction in the amount of material punched from a strip of package making material, thus reducing the amount of material to be reground and circulated into the raw material.
A further advantage of the invention is the use of the particular preform to produce a highly oriented and strengthened carrier device of the type generally described above, which may permit the use of thinner strips of package making material.
The above objects and advantages are obtained by the preform of the invention which basically includes a strip of plastic material which is provided with a plurality of series' of very narrow slots extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strip. The slots are particularly arranged so that upon predetermined stretching forces applied longitudinally of the strip, the strip itself is transformed into a carrier device strip which includes a plurality of container engaging bands each of which includes an inner section of generally V-shaped configuration and an outer, generally straight, band. Thus, the eventual carrier device created is a "dynamic" device in that it is to be transformed into a container encircling shape as a result of the application of transverse stretching forces.
More particularly, the preform strip includes a first series of slots which are a pair of laterally opposing narrow width slots extending on either side of the center line of the strip. A second series of narrow slots is positioned to be intermediate adjacent first series of slots and each of the second series slots extending through the longitudinal center line of the strip. The base of the first series of slots is adapted to be highly stretched and oriented in the outer band regions while the strip segments between adjacent first and second series of slots form the segments of the V-shaped inner sections of the carrier device.
Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent upon perusal of the hereinafter following specification and drawings.